The Biological Sciences Division pursues its twin missions of medical education and patient care at the unique interface between the academic world of the University of Chicago and the clinical world of the University of Chicago Hospitals. Working at the center of this interface are the clinical faculty, who provide both superior patient care for the clinics and Hospitals and an outstanding education to the university's medical students, while often conducting research programs of their own. The importance of these individuals can't be overemphasized: they are the faces patients connect to and the mentors students look to. They trade more lucrative careers in private practice to further the standards of research, patient care and education in the fields of biology and medicine.

For these doctors, the rewards of working as a clinician educator within the BSD include the interactions that occur with both fellow faculty members and with medical students, residents and fellows. They find satisfaction in both their professional relationships and in the idea that they are helping to shape the future of the biomedical sciences by instilling in their students a passion for outstanding patient care and clinical research.

Three such clinician educators are Dr. Elizabeth Baumann, Dr. Halina Brukner, and Dr. Brian Funaki. These individuals, and the hundreds of clinician educators like them, play vital roles in the continued excellence of the institution as a whole and offer insight into the life of a clinician educator.

"Clinician educators play a key role in the mission of the medical school, hospital and division," says Dr. Brukner, Vice Chairman and Professor in the Department of Medicine.

"It's obvious that without the clinical work performed by these individuals, the vast majority of clinical care being conducted here would not exist."

"Additionally, these are the individuals who are integrating basic science discoveries into clinical reality while taking on the responsibility of teaching medical stud?ents, residents and fellows," she adds. "They're challenged by the scholarly activities that are available here, and believe in the work being done in this institution."

Dr. Baumann, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, echoes this sentiment. "In addition to my responsibilities as a clinician and an instructor, I manage a long-standing diabetes research program. But an institution such as this allows me the opportunity for those areas to merge and overlap, so I can teach fellows and residents while I'm seeing patients who fall into my research program. It's hard to find a place outside of academia where that synthesis occurs."

"So often it's hard to quantify contributions made by clinician educators to their fields because they're dominated by patient interactions and on the job teaching of medical students," says Dr. Brian Funaki, Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology. "But still it's clinician educators who are helping to translate basic research findings into practical clinical applications and who are shaping the future of the field by instructing medical students in patient care.

"Working with the individuals who are here creates an environment where I am constantly challenged to think outside the box, to explore new possibilities regarding my research, my teaching and mypatient care," Baumann adds.

"In academia, you're judged by a variety of markers, many of which are rather unquantifiable, which encourages growth both as an individual and as a part of a larger institution," says Funaki. "Being surrounded by excellence makes us better clinicians, educators and researchers, and allows us to pass that culture of excellence on to the next group of biomedical clinicians and researchers."

"The biggest challenge for clinician educators is to balance clinical care and teaching with scholarly work," Brukner adds. "It's so easy to let patient care and clinical responsibilities eat up time that could be dedicated to conducting research of some sort."

Even while acknowledging the difficulty behind managing these three distinct responsibilities, Brukner, Baumann and Funaki all firmly believe that the presence of those three facets in their careers is what encouraged them to return to academic medicine.

"To be a clinician educator at an institution like this, you have to love all aspects of your job," says Funaki. "This position attracts individuals who are extremely dedicated to furthering knowledge in their fields, providing the best care to patients and to teaching future doctors and researchers. For me, this type of job is much more fulfilling than one where I would only see patients. The rewards are immeasurable."

A Fish Tale
A fish tale is circulating through the scientific community and popular news outlets, thanks to a recent discovery by Dr. Neil Shubin, Professor and Chair, Organismal Biology and Anatomy, Dr. Michael Coates, Associate Professor...

Heart and Mind of Patient care
The Biological Sciences Division pursues its twin missions of medical education and patient care at the unique interface between the academic world of the University of Chicago and the clinical world of the University of Chicago Hospitals...

Topping-Off Ceremony
On Friday, April 16, 2004, the BSD celebrated the completion of major steel work on the new Interdivisional Research Building with an informal topping-off ceremony...

Aims Updates
The New Research Building (NRB)
The building plan for the NRB was presented to a joint meeting of the Campus Planning & Facilities and Financial Planning Committees of the University Trustees on April 8, 2004...

DEVELOPMENT
As of March 31, 2004, total campaign giving to the BSD and Hospitals has reached $371 million - 67% of the way to our $550 million Spark Discovery, Illuminate Life goal...

EDUCATION
In today's world of biological research, quantitative analysis, modeling and prediction are playing increasingly important roles. This in turn requires a new generation of students with mastery of mathematical problem-solving...

DISCOVERIES
Wei-Jen Tang, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Ben May Institute for Cancer Research, and his team have discovered that a drug approved by the FDA for treatment of chronic hepatitis B...

FOREFRONT
The Division of the Biological Sciences is proud to announce the appointment of two new Professors and Chairmen of the Departments of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences....

ACCOLADES
Recent Awards and Grants Information for Biological Sciences Division Faculty

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Recent Recruitemnts and Appointments of Biological Sciences Division Faculty

Dollars & Sense
The BSD financial highlights for the first eight months of fiscal year 2004.

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